Furnace donation warms woman’s heart

Published
12:00 am CST, Sunday, December 8, 2013

ALTON — It will be a Merry Christmas for Guadaloupe Phillips and her family after much generosity on the part of the River Bend.

Residents have come forward with several gifts and donations since her story first appeared in The Telegraph about not having heat and not being able to buy presents for the Alton woman’s eight children.

But this past week, she and her children received the greatest Christmas gift of all – a new furnace with donated labor. Scott Fuller, owner of Fire & Ice LLC Heating and Cooling in Alton, and Chuck Carman of St. Louis joined together to put in a brand new furnace and install it for free for Guadaloupe and her children. Guadaloupe, who is hearing-impaired, and her eight children had been snuggling together in the basement by a wood fire to stay warm when the furnace stopped working.

“I was at the residence about three weeks ago and serviced the furnace,” Fuller said. “It was cracked and there were small children there, so I told them I couldn’t service it. Sandy Schwegel, a good friend of us, told us about it; she told us she saw it in the paper. We put our money together to buy a unit and the labor was free, so they have the furnace.”

Guadaloupe said she cannot thank the community enough for the outpouring of love, compassion and support.

“It has been overwhelming and I can’t put into words our gratitude,” she said. “We were in the process of obtaining proposals for a new furnace, when to our surprise, Fire & Ice Heating and Cooling company showed up at our doorstep, furnace in tow, and installed a new furnace. Thank you so much to this community, churches, individuals, businesses for your outpouring of a generous Christmas spirit. We will indeed have a warm house for Christmas and a warm Christmas meal.”

Sandy Schwegel’s talk with Fuller will likely have lasting results for Guadaloupe’s family.

“When I talked to Sandy it motivated me to do this,” Fuller said.

Fuller said he feels absolutely wonderful about his act with his St. Louis friend.

“I am a giver and not a taker when it comes to children,” he said. “I was just there. I could picture them all downstairs. It makes you feel something when you are sleeping warm at night and someone is without heat. I felt this is just something we needed to do.”

To contribute to Phillips’ children for Christmas, contact friend Charlene Edwards at (618) 444-7303; she will handle gifts and get them to the Alton woman’s children.

Guadaloupe Phillips closed by saying, “Again, thank you so much. Have a Merry Christmas.”